Past and Present

Chapter 18- Sick

Xingchen was six months pregnant and his bump was pretty big now. A-Qing and Xue Yang liked to feel the babies' heartbeats and little sneezes.
"Xue Yang!" Xingchen said excitedly, "Come here! Quickly!"
Xue Yang ran to the man and looked worried, "What is it? Do you need something? Are you hurt?"
"No! Give me your hand!" Xingchen fumbled around in search of Xue Yang's hand and finally found it. He placed it on his stomach and smiled widely, "Be quiet and pay attention."
Xue Yang stayed silent a felt something hit his hand softly, "Wait! Did they..?"
"One of them kicked!" Xingchen said excitedly.
Without a word Xue Yang kneeled down and placed his head on the bump, he heard a noise and felt the kick again, "One of them sneezed."
"I know, I can feel it," Xingchen said happily. Xue Yang stood up and hugged his lover with a wide smile.
"You're doing so well YueHua, I'm proud," Xue Yang whispered.
    "What do you mean? I'm not doing anything," Xingchen chuckled.
    "You have to carry these babies for almost a year," Xue Yang said, "and up to now there hasn't been any problem."
    Xingchen laughed softly, "Silly, what do you think women do? I'm no different except the fact that I'm a man."
    "Exactly why it's even better," Xue Yang said, nuzzling his face in Xingchen's shoulder.
"A-Yang, what do you think were to happen, if I didn't survive?" Xingchen suddenly asked after a moment.
"What do you mean? You aren't dying," Xue Yang said.
"I know, bur what if I did die? While I gave birth," Xingchen said softly.
"Then I would save you," Xue Yang said, "simple."
"No, if it's my life or the babies, you must choose them," Xingchen said.
"YueHua, I can't bear loosing you," Xue Yang said, "I can't loose you no matter what."
"Xue Yang please," Xingchen said, his voice strained with pain, "promise me that if you have to choose you'll choose them. Promise me."
The man sighed, "Fine, I promise I will choose them if it comes to that. But it won't come to that so stop talking about it."
"Thank you," Xingchen breathed.
"Let's go eat, you must be hungry," Xue Yang said. He grabbed Xingchen's hand and led him to the kitchen, where he then began making some food for his lover.
Xingchen sat down and waited. He felt a bowl being placed in his hands and took it, and began eating.
"You look hungry," Xue Yang commented as he at his own bowl.
"I am," Xingchen said as he ate, "I'm eating for three remember?"
Xue Yang chuckled, "Yes, you are." They finished eating and Xingchen ran outside, Xue Yang following close behind. He saw Xingchen throwing up everything he just ate, "YueHua, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Xingchen hoarsely said, "I probably just ate too much."
"Maybe, or the food was bad," Xue Yang said, he helped Xingchen walk back to their room where they both laid down on the bed.
Xingchen was caressing his stomach protectively, almost as if he was in danger and didn't want anyone hurting him or the babies.
Xue Yang hugged him from behind and gently took the man's hands off his stomach, "Relax, nothing bad is happening and you're safe. Just sleep if you want to."
"Okay," Xingchen sighed, "I'm probably just being a little bit dramatic."
"It's fine, I understand," Xue Yang said, pressing soft kisses on Xingchen's neck. Xingchen calmed down and sank into Xue Yang's arms, feeling the warmth of the man's body. He fell asleep and while Xue Yang stayed awake.
Xue Yang wondered why Xingchen suddenly felt protective about his stomach. And why he had said to choose the babies over him.
He laid in silence with thoughts flying in his head, before finally falling asleep.

It was close to Xingchen's due date and he looked terrible. He was throwing up more than usual and would complain about headaches and stomachaches, he also had a pretty bad fever.
He couldn't sleep and barely ate, despite throwing up all the time. "YueHua, please eat a little bit," Xue Yang whispered.
"I'm not hungry," Xingchen weakly said.
"Just a little bit, one spoonful and that's it," Xue Yang said.
"Fine," Xingchen sat up in bed and a bowl was placed in his hands. He took a small spoonful and felt the warmth spread through his body, he forgot how good food was.
He ended up finishing half the bowl and covered his mouth. Xue Yang grabbed his shoulder gently, "YueHua, do you feel bad?"
The man nodded and Xue Yang helped him up. He took him to the window where Xingchen threw up everything he just ate.
Xingchen's legs were weak and he stumbled into Xue Yang. The said man helped him back to the bed where Xingchen slept after a while, for the first time in days.
Xue Yang sighed sadly and walked outside to be met by a concerned Song Lan and a-Qing, "He ate half of it, but threw up."
Song Lan sighed, "What are we going to do?"
"What else? Call a healer idiot," a-Qing snapped. She walked outside with Xue Yang behind her, Song Lan stayed behind to take care of his friend.
Song Lan went into the room and saw Xingchen clutching his stomach im pain, "Xingchen, are you alright?"
"No, I-I think the babies are coming," Xingchen whimpered.
"Shit," Song Lan ran to his friend's aid and held the man get in a comfortable position, "Xue Yang and a-Qing are getting a healer, so don't worry."
"Okay," Xingchen grabbed Song Lan's arm and dug his nails in the skin. He clenched his jaw and groaned in pain.
"It's alright, you'll be fine," Song Lan said soothingly, "just think about how the babies will look like. How will they act?"
"The-they'll look like Xue Yang," Xingchen stammered, "and a-act like me."
"That's a good thing," Song Lan said softly, "who's eyes will they have?"
"Mine," Xingchen said, his breathing getting heavier by the minute.
"Hang in there Xingchen, they're coming."